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This is my stop during the blog tour for Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks’ Secret by Paula Berinstein. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 18 April till 1 May, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.
So far this series contains 4 books: Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective #1), Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis (Amanda Lester, Detective #2), Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle (Amanda Lester, Detective #3) and Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks’ Secret (Amanda Lester, Detective #4). You can get the first book in the series for only 0.99$ at amazon.

Today I have an interesting guest post written by the author to share with you, it’s about how she stays inspired to write these wonderful books.

The Guest Post

Staying Inspired: How I Became a Cat for My Art

By Paula Berinstein

When I started writing fiction, I turned into a cat. Well, I didn’t actually become a cat, but I took on cat-like traits. Believe me, I was as shocked as you are.

You see, before that, I loved the light. Each day I would throw open the shutters and drink in as much of it as I could. It was my inspiration, the thing that animated me. I needed it like you need coffee, or books, or whatever makes you yourself. Without it I could not think, could not be.

But then I decided to write novels, and everything changed.

Oh, the transformation wasn’t instant, nothing like that. I started out happily enough, greeting each beautiful Los Angeles day with a pair of sunglasses and an open heart. But little by little, I became weird, although it took a long time before I noticed.

It was somewhere around the time of my second book. I would find myself closing the blinds in front of my desk—to keep the glare out, I said. Yet somehow that wasn’t enough, and I would close the blinds in the next room—to keep the gardener from disturbing me, I claimed. But that didn’t do it either, so I left the blinds down all over the house, and turned into something I didn’t recognize.

I found that without the visual distractions I could think better. I could dig down inside of myself, visualize my characters as if I were watching them act, hear them speak. The ideas flowed out of me faster than I could get them down. And I became lost in my strange new world.

Ecstatic at the change, I started to fantasize about having a small space to myself—one without windows, where my screen would be all I could see. I ordered a shade for the only window that had no cover, and my husband installed it. The feeling I got from keeping it down was so magical that it didn’t even matter that it was crooked.

And then—and then—I began to fantasize about having a cave in which to work—a silent, dark place where no one could reach me and I could be alone with my thoughts. I dreamed of small spaces—pantries, tiny studios, under the covers—any place where I could hide and give my imagination free rein, the smaller and darker the better. And then one day it dawned on me that I had become a cat. And I was delighted.

They say that artists are a bit mad, but I’m not seeking therapy for my condition. I actually find it quite liberating. Since I became a cat I’ve written better than ever and am happy beyond belief. There is just one thing that bothers me though: how do I fit my monitor under the bed?

Everything, as it turns out. When Amanda is knocked off her skateboard by a rare all-blue peacock, she learns that the species harbors a vital secret she must race to uncover. But before she can unravel the mystery, a startling archaeological discovery turns all of Britain against the detectives and threatens their very existence.

As old enemies gather strength and new adversaries emerge, Amanda finds herself dealing with hysterical teachers, a disappearing mentor, a mysterious poisoner, and a would-be magician. With so much at stake and so little time, the last thing she needs is to fall in love.

Amanda Lester wouldn’t be caught dead going into the family business. Her ancestor, Sherlock Holmes’s colleague Inspector G. Lestrade, is a twit. Nevertheless her parents refuse to see his flaws, and she’s going to a secret English school for the descendants of famous detectives whether she likes it or not.

When Amanda arrives at the dreaded school, she considers running away—until she and her new friends discover blood and weird pink substances in odd places. At first they’re not sure whether these seeming clues mean anything, but when Amanda’s father disappears and the cook is found dead with her head in a bag of sugar, they’re certain that crimes are taking place.

Now Amanda must embrace her destiny and uncover the truth. The only snag is that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty, a descendant of Holmes’s nemesis Professor James Moriarty, might be involved, and he doesn’t like nosy little girls interfering in his business.

There’s a new student at the Legatum Continuatum School for the Descendants of Famous Detectives and Amanda is supposed to work with him. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a dork and would rather die than have anything to do with him.

But when the kids discover a dead body encrusted with strange living crystals, Amanda realizes she needs Holmes’s help. If the crystals fall into the wrong hands they could be used for nefarious purposes, and only he knows how to protect them.

Can the detectives keep the bad guys from learning the crystals’ secrets? It would help if they could figure out who the dead body is too. Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together can they prevent a disaster, and it isn’t looking good

Things are not going well for Amanda and the secret detective school. A priceless artifact has disappeared, a dangerous hacker is manipulating matter, and zombies are being seen all over the Lake District.

Then the real trouble starts. When her cousins go missing and her friend Clive is kidnapped, Amanda is forced to turn to someone she’d rather not deal with: her old boyfriend Scapulus Holmes. But then he vanishes too. Now’s she’s sure that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty is involved . . . or is he?

The Author

About the Author:
Paula Berinstein is nothing like Amanda. For one thing, she’s crazy about Sherlock Holmes. For another, she’s never wanted to be a filmmaker. In addition, compared to Amanda she’s a big chicken! And she wouldn’t mind going to a secret school at all. In fact, she’s hoping that some day she’ll get to build one.

The Giveaway

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Amanda Lester and the Blue Peacocks’ Secret. Open International. These are the prizes you can win:
– a Kindle Paperwhite
– A physical copy of all four Amanda Lester books by Paula Berinstein
– 2 physical copies from Paula Berinstein her books, winner’s choice